BREAD-The BBC TV series set in Liverpool BBC Page This is a fan page and does not intend to infringe any copyrights held either by the BBC or anyone else. All sources where known will be given or hot-linked. To the left you'll spot a shot of Paul and Linda McCartney guesting in THAT episode. Unfortunately, the clipping is undated and lacks the name of the paper. The reviewer at the time wasn't a fan of the show and the review was less than friendly. The final words in the review: "At least Paul had the good sense to remain hidden in the Mercedes and limit his contribution to one throwaway line." THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988 was far more friendly. There was a one page feature on Peter 'Joey' Howitt and his girlfriend at the time, Louise English. Said Peter: "I never wear black leather gear like Joey Boswell. I will help promote the programme by doing personal appearances but Joey and I are light years apart.

/ My sister has threatened to reply to my fan mail and tell the girls who write in what I'm really like!" Later in the interview, saying that he was writing jokes for Cannon & Ball and Hale & Pace, "I'm investing for the time when I am no longer flavour of the month." Peter had also turned down an 80,000 pounds ad contract to promote aftershave and bread for fear it would affect his credibility as an actor. Actors had integrity back then. How times have changed. OVERVIEW Set in Liverpool, England, the home of The Beatles. The Boswell family, although none of them appear to be employed, manage to live a comfortable life with the help of Social Security payments and various jobs on the side. The matriache and undisputed head of the family, who always sits at the head of the table around which much of the action takes place, is Nellie (Jean Boht). She has raised her children with little or no help from husband Freddie (Ronald Forfar), who spends most of his time chasing after 'Lilo Lil' (Eileen Pollock).

Her lads are Joey (Peter Howitt), Jack (Victor McGuire), Adrian (Jonathon Morris) and Billy (Nick Conway). Solitary daughter, Aveline (Gilly Coman), dreams of becoming a top model. At the end of series 4, Peter Howitt left the programme and was replaced by Graham Bickley. Gilly Coman also left, to be replaced by Melanie Hill. We hope to cover all these characters and actors either by way of links or information below, gleaned from news clippings of the time. SOME CAST /CHARACTERS in 'pecking' order! Not all listed yet. GRANDAD Kenneth Waller. Born in Huddersfield on November 5, 1927. He died on January 28, 2000, aged 72 . From The Times Kenneth Waller was one of those admirable character actors who plied his trade for decades without attracting much notice and then became a household name late in his career thanks to one hugely successful television series.

This was Bread, Carla Lane's sitcom about about the unemployed Boswell family on Merseyside, which at its peak in the late 1980s attracted an audience of 21 million. It was an ensemble piece rather than a star vehicle, and Waller's Grandad was an essential element. A pensioner who lived next door to the Boswells in their working-class terrace, Grandad was forever dropping in to cadge a meal and his "hey, where's me tea?" became a catchphrase. Waller's skilled playing transcended what could have been a comic caricature by investing the character with a shrewd mixture of irascibility and pathos. It was clever acting in a physical sense as well, for viewers who saw only a 75- year-old with unkempt white hair and a bushy moustache might not have guessed that the hair was dyed, the moustache a fake and that Waller was not yet 60 when he first played the part. Grandad came to Waller rather by chance. He had been due to make a film in Spain when a fellow actor, Art Malik, broke his arm and shooting was postponed.

This left Waller free for other work and available when Bread was being cast. The series began in 1986 and survived a tepid critical reception and local objections to perceived Scouse stereotyping to became the most popular BBC comedy of its day. Waller played Grandad until the final episode in December 1991. Kenneth Waller came to acting late, after National Service in the RAF and working in the accounts department of an auctioneering firm where a colleague was Thelma Barlow, later Mavis Riley of Coronation Street. He started in repertory, appeared at the Oxford Playhouse under Frank Hauser, and showed equal proficiency in musicals and straight plays. He made his West End debut in the Julian Slade musical Free As Air at the Savoy Theatre in 1957 and played in more than 20 other London productions, including Salad Days, The Solid Gold Cadillac, Anne of Green Gables and The Importance of Being Earnest. He played Shakespeare in India, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt.

Waller was an accomplished pianist who played with leading orchestras in Peter and the Wolf, a lover of opera and a keen follower in his home town of the Huddersfield Choral Society. Another institution he cherished was the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, which he served as both actor and supporter. He made the first of more than 200 television appearances in a comedy show starring Terry Scott, and had parts in many popular series, including All Creatures Great and Small, Juliet Bravo and Dr Who. But it was not until the early 1980s that his career began to take off, playing Mr Grace, the store owner in the sitcom Are You Being Served?, and Ferret, the old Cockney in the comedy-drama Big Deal. During 1988 he was in Coronation Street playing the father of Curly Watts. With his brown hair this time dyed ginger, he could never be mistaken for Bread's Grandad. After Bread finished he was with Barbara Windsor in a successful touring production of Joe Orton's black comedy, Entertaining Mr Sloane.

Despite his late fame and the wealth that went with it, Waller lived modestly in a rented two-bedroom maisonette opposite Chalk Farm Tube station in London. His idea of a treat was a fresh Scotch salmon from Marks & Spencer and a half bottle of champagne. He never married. Subj: Kenneth Waller (from Bread) Date: 30/10/06 10:39:36 AUS Eastern Daylight Time From: Rosy I was looking at your website in relation to Ken Waller and was surprised to find that there is no mention of his role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I knew Ken from my days working at the BBC (1980-87) where we sang in the Club Choir together. I always point him out to my children as it was such great fun knowing him and we used to laugh a lot together. He played one of the inventors alongside Max Wall and was very proud of it! Otherwise this is a lovely tribute to him - thanks! - Rosy Treasure, Claygate, Esher NELLIE Jean Boht - Details to follow when time permits. ADRIAN Jonathon Morris scored a double.

At the same time of landing the role 'Adrian', he also won a role in the West End stage production of 'La Cage Aux Folles'. Never out of work since leaving the Bristol Old Vic in 1981, he'd appeared in TV costume dramas such as 'Beau Geste' and 'The Prisoner of Zenda', and worked on stage with Tom Baker, Claire Bloom and Patricia Hodge. His mother was an infant school teacher and his father, a horticulturalist. Tommy Steele, Frad Astaire and Gene Kelly were his favourite stars during his childhood. Info from THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988. CELIA Rita Tushingham was Celia Higgins, the neighbour. Rita returned to her native Liverpool from Canada to appear in the series. "It was lovely to be back. Liverpool people are very special and have a marvellous sense of humour. / And the cast could not have been friendlier." She was born in Liverpool in 1942. Rita applied to a newspaper advertisement for an actress to play Jo in the film A Taste Of Honey and got the role. She won the best actress award at the Cannes festival for her first film performance.

She then appeared in several important movies of the decade, including Doctor Zhivago and The Knack. Others included A Taste Of Honey, The Leather Boys, A Place To Go, The Girl With Green Eyes, The Trap, Smashing Time, Diamonds For Breakfast, The Guru and The Bed-sitting Room. Rita also made at least one appearance on the Morcambe and Wise Show. Rita and her husband, film-maker Ousama Rawi, settled in Canada with their two daughters Aisha and Dodanna, in 1981. Some info from THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988. LILO LIL Eileen Pollock, unlike her character, accumulated numerous academic qualifications including a degree in languages at Belfast's Queens University; she speaks French, Italian and Spanish and worked as a translator before moving to the acting profession. And yes, she had her hair dyed to play Lilo Lil! About Lil, Eileen said: " ...I'm very fond of her but she is quite misunderstood. / In a way she is fond of Freddie and would settle down with him.

But he has wanderlust and he needs to go back to his family from time to time." Info from THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988 MARTINA Pamela Power as the dole dragon, Martina, didn't need to do any research for the part as she'd been on the opposite side of the DHSS counter many times! Said Kenneth Waller of Pamela: " Pamela was so brilliant in the first episode, it was dedcided to keep her on and give her a bigger role." At the time Pamela was married to financial planner, Martyn Ingram. The two shared their Wimbledon home with three cats. Info from THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988 SHIFTY Bryan Murray's arrival after the show had been running for four series was daunting for him but the cast soon made him welcome. His mum was a great fan and very pleased when he landed the role of Shifty Boswell. At the time of the interview, Bryan's wife had shifted back to Ireland and had taken their five yo daughter, Laura, who he missed very much.

Info from THE WEEKLY NEWS dated December 3, 1988 STAN Terry Lennaine has also been seen in various TV programmes including Bread where Terry played 'Stan', the husband of Joey Boswell's girlfriend 'Roxy', Terry appeared in a number of episodes. MONGY EVENTS THE MARRIAGE A double page colour-spread appeared in DAILY RECORD (a Scottish paper printed in Glasgow*), December 5, 1988. *Thanks to Ben Wicks for this information. THE ROME SPECIAL I have a scan of a colour illo of the 'Roman Special' cast from an unknown newspaper but it's not suitable for this page. Sorry, currently misplaced and not available until I relocate the clipping. THE STAGE VERSION Butterflies (TV Series 1978–1983) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Ria, a happily married suburban housewife, reaches the age where she feels as if life is passing her by.

Being taken for granted by her butterfly collecting dentist husband doesn't help. So... See full summary » Stars: The thought of cooking for Christmas frightens Ria though she is cheered to meet Leonard again, though they have a row. Back home this preys on her mind and she burns the pizza and freaks out at the ... 8.1 The boys have the opportunity to buy a window cleaning business but Ria is still depressed and goes to church for guidance. When she comes out she finds Leonard has put his diary in her car. She ... 7.9 Six months have elapsed and Ria meets Leonard in the park. They hug, he says he loves her and wants to carry on with her. Meanwhile Ben is having lunch with a widowed friend Amanda. She seems to ...

7.5 a list of 30 titles created 04 Oct 2012 a list of 31 titles created 02 Jun 2013 a list of 864 titles created 07 Dec 2014 a list of 35 titles created 10 months ago a list of 218 titles created 10 months ago Search for " Butterflies " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Audrey fforbes-Hamilton is sad when her husband dies but is shocked when she realises that she has to leave Grantleigh Manor where her family has lived forever. The new owner is Richard De ... See full summary » Stars: Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles, Angela Thorne Martin is a committee man. He has numerous schemes and committees organised around the neighbourhood. He is so obsessive about every detail of everything he does he is driving his long ...

See full summary » Stars: Richard Briers, Penelope Wilton, Peter Egan The series followed the wavering relationship between two ex-lovers, Penny Warrender, a secretary for an advertising firm, and Vincent Pinner, an ex ice cream salesman turned turf ... See full summary » Stars: Paul Nicholas, Jan Francis, Sylvia Kay Wolfie Smith is an unemployed dreamer from Tooting London, a self proclaimed Urban Guerilla who aspires to be like his hero Che Guevara. Leading a small group called the Tooting Popular ... See full summary » Stars: Robert Lindsay, Mike Grady, Hilda Braid The perils of "escaping the rat race" and dropping out of society - to start a farm in Surbiton (and to drive Margo nuts). Stars: Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith A rather naive, middle-class man is admitted to a hospital ward and finds that he is sharing it with a working-class layabout and an upper-class hypochondriac. All three of them cause headaches for the hospital staff. Stars: James Bolam, Peter Bowles, Christopher Strauli Comic goings on in this series set in an English holiday camp called Maplins.

The title comes from the camp's greeting, which the staff are meant to say with enthusiasm but all too often ... See full summary » Stars: Paul Shane, Ruth Madoc, Jeffrey Holland The comic adventures of a group of misfits who form an extremely bad concert party touring the hot and steamy jungles of Burma entertaining the troops during World War II. Stars: Windsor Davies, Melvyn Hayes, Donald Hewlett The Liverpool-based Boswell family are experts at exploiting the system to get by in life. Despite the fact that none of the Boswells are officially employed, they manage to live a fairly ... See full summary » Stars: Jean Boht, Nick Conway, Jonathon Morris Jacko is a house painter who "appreciates" women, he sees the best in each one of them and they in turn, like him. Will he find true love ? Will he settle down as he gets older ? Stars: Karl Howman, Mike Walling, Jackie Lye Bless This House centres on life in Birch Avenue, Putney, where travelling stationery salesman Sid Abbott (Sidney James) and his wife Jean (Diana Coupland) live with their teenagers: Mike (...

See full summary » Stars: Sidney James, Diana Coupland, Sally Geeson Now a qualified chef, Robin from "Man About the House" (1973) sets up home with his girlfriend, and a business with his girlfriend's father. Stars: Richard O'Sullivan, Tessa Wyatt, Tony Britton Edit Storyline Ria, a happily married suburban housewife, reaches the age where she feels as if life is passing her by. Being taken for granted by her butterfly collecting dentist husband doesn't help. So, when the opportunity for an affair comes up she tries to decide whether she loves her husband enough to be faithful to him. Written by Dave Smith <dave@stat.colostate.edu> 10 November 1978 (UK) See more » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia At the beginning of the first series, Ben is said to be 48 years old; Geoffrey Palmer was actually 51 at that time. Ria's age is not specifically mentioned, but she worries about having looked like 50 - ten years before she should; Wendy Craig was 44.

Leonard has a birthday in the first series and turns 45; Bruce Montague was 39. See more » Quotes (Vancouver, Canada) – See all my reviews Even 20-odd years after the fact (and with it's late-70s sexual revolutionism looking humorously dated these days), Carla Lane's 'Butterflies' remains one of the freshest and funniest sitcoms Britain ever produced. The story itself is relentlessly simple -- a stifled housewife's yearning for more in her life is complicated by a distantly ironic husband, two sex-crazed still-at-home sons, and the romantic attention of a wealthy playboy whose desire revs up the more undesirable she feels. But it's not the plot that makes 'Butterflies' great so much as it is the opportunity that that plot gives Lane to explore Ria Parkinson's world as it slowly collapses around her, and it's impossible not to see a little bit of oneself in the sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-sobering struggles of Lane's memorable characters as they attempt to survive the small anguishes of day-to-day life. Smart writing and great performances all around.

A few years back, 'Butterflies' would show up in late-night rotation on PBS in the states and Canada; if it does again, catch it. 18 of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Carla Lane, screenwriter behind Butterflies, Bread and The Liver Birds, has died - celebrities pay tribute — Melanie Hill (@melaniejhil) May 31, 2016 BBC actress Jean Boht, who played Bread's matriarch Ma Boswell, added that Lane was "dynamic, beautiful, she looked 16 all the time always and loved her animals, more than us I think, and you know she loved everybody". Others, including The Thick of It and Peep Show writer Simon Blackwell and Friday Night Dinner’s Robert Popper, spoke up about Lane’s influence over comedy and the sitcom form. Just seen sad news about Carla Lane. A prolific talent. Her masterpiece, Butterflies, unlike anything that had come before in British sitcom — Simon Blackwell (@simonblackwell) May 31, 2016 Carla Lane has died. A real comedy mind & force leaves the planet.

— Danny Baker (@prodnose) May 31, 2016 Very sad about Carla Lane. Butterflies was a beautiful show. — Robert Popper (@robertpopper) June 1, 2016 Friend and fellow Liverpudlian Ken Dodd added that she was “a great observer” with a keen eye for everyday humour. "She was a wonderful, a true modern comedienne writer, but as well as that, you know, she left a wonderful legacy of happiness and proving that once again ladies can be just as funny as men,” he said, according to the BBC . Some reflected on her conservation work, her love of animals and animal welfare well-known... Animals have lost a true champion today. Our thoughts are with Carla Lane's family & friends. — PETA UK (@PETAUK) May 31, 2016 And there were many who were just glad that she’d made them laugh over the years. #CarlaLane beautiful, beautiful writer. Adored her and her work. Sad day. xx via @youtube — amanda abbington (@CHIMPSINSOCKS) June 1, 2016 What a writer.

Unforgettable characters and razor sharp one-liners. Ria taught us everything we know about cooking #CarlaLane — You've Been Framed! (@YouveBeenFramed) June 1, 2016 RIP Carla Lane, whom my american readers may not know but who was awesome. — Mark Millar (@mrmarkmillar) June 1, 2016 RIP Carla Lane, who made us all laugh. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 31, 2016 Carla Lane and Victoria Wood both wrote from the heart, and put women at the heart of what they wrote. #RIPCarlaLane Television sitcom writer Carla Lane dies, aged 87 - BBC News BBC News Television sitcom writer Carla Lane dies, aged 87 31 May 2016 Close share panel Media captionNick Conway, who played Billy Boswell in the sitcom Bread, pays tribute to Carla Lane Television writer Carla Lane, who created shows including 1980s Liverpool sitcom Bread, has died aged 87. Lane, who was born in Liverpool and later became known for her animal rights activism, also wrote Butterflies and co-wrote The Liver Birds.

She died at Stapely Care Home on Tuesday, her family confirmed. They paid tribute to her "quick wit, determination and passion" which "brought Liverpool to life on screen for others to share". The family said: "With heavy hearts we said goodbye to our darling Carla today. "But with smiles on our faces we also take this opportunity to reflect on her incredible achievements all of which make us so unbelievably proud to be part of her family." Image caption Lane first became known for co-creating and writing The Liver Birds Lane first became known for The Liver Birds, a sitcom which focused on the lives of two women who shared a flat together in Liverpool, co-writing and creating the programme with her friend and fellow Liverpudlian Myra Taylor. The programme aired from 1969 to 1979 and returned for a one-off series in 1996. Her next sitcom, Butterflies, which aired from 1978 to 1983, focused on the lives of the Parkinson family and helped launch the career of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Lane then created and wrote Bread, which focused on the working class Boswell family as they struggled through the city's high unemployment and poor prospects in the late 1980s. It aired for seven series between 1986 and 1991. Much of her work focused on women's lives and featured frustrated housewives and working class matriarchs. She received an OBE for services to writing in 1989 but returned it to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002 in disgust at animal cruelty. In 1995, Lane was given a Royal Television Society award for her Outstanding Contribution to British Television. Image caption Bread focused on the lives of the Boswell family Lane later became known for looking after hundreds of rescue animals - running an animal sanctuary from her mansion in Horsted Keynes, Sussex, until 2009 - and was a close friend of Sir Paul McCartney's late wife Linda. Speaking to the Observer in 2008 about their friendship , Lane said: "She had a lot of good friends, but we were friendship-struck from moment one. "We used to sit on the lawn with our two puppies, kicking leaves, and looking at them.

We were like two scientists trying to find out why people don't like animals, and what we'd do to them, if we only could." Lane also had an animal sanctuary named after her. Fran Ellis, founder and trustee at the Carla Lane Animals in Need Sanctuary in Melling, Merseyside, paid tribute to a "champion of animal welfare". "We changed the name of our charity to recognise the work done by this special lady. Her name will live on in all we do," she said. BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba said Lane was someone that "understood people and that's why she was able to write them so well... there was a real degree of honesty". Tributes have been paid to the comedy writer on Twitter. Actress Melanie Hill, who played Aveline in Bread and starred in long-running school TV drama Waterloo Road, tweeted : "Very sad to hear #CarlaLane has left us. Writer and creator of many fantastic shows @BBCOne #bread #Aveline." Piers Morgan tweeted : "RIP Carla Lane, who made us all laugh." What are your memories of Carla Lane? Have you met her or worked with her? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk .

If you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number. You can also contact us in the following ways: WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971 Carla Lane, writer of Butterflies and Bread, dies aged 87 | UK news | The Guardian UK news Carla Lane, writer of Butterflies and Bread, dies aged 87 One of Britain’s most successful scriptwriters, Lane went on from phenomenal success in TV to open an animal sanctuary in Sussex Carla Lane, photographed in 1982. Photograph: United News/Popperfoto/Getty Tuesday 31 May 2016 15.05 EDT Last modified on Tuesday 31 May 2016 17.28 EDT Close This article is 7 months old Carla Lane, the award-winning writer of television comedy dramas including the Liver Birds and Bread, has died at the age of 87. After blazing a trail as one of British television’s most successful scriptwriters, Lane had also become known in recent years for her animal rights activities and ran an animal sanctuary on 25 acres of land in Sussex before selling it in 2009.

She died at a nursing home in Liverpool’s Mossley Hill district on Monday, the Liverpool Echo reported . Her brand of humour and involvement in some of British television’s most popular shows was praised on Tuesday by figures including Melanie Gill , who appeared in Bread as Aveline. Lane, who was born Romana Barrack in Liverpool, later changed her name because she said she was “shy” about people knowing she wrote The Liver Birds , the long-running BBC series about the two Liverpudlian flatmates she created with Myra Taylor. Lane went on to write several other series for the BBC, including Butterflies, starring Wendy Craig, Solo with Felicity Kendal, and Bread, which was closely associated with her signature bittersweet style. Running from 1986 to 1991, its chronicling of the Boswell family’s struggles with poverty and unemployment during Britain’s 1980s recession was watched by almost 21 million people at the height of its popularity. Jean Boht, who played the part of Bread’s matriarch, Nellie Boswell, described Lane as a genius.

Remembering the making of the show and Lane’s role in its creation, she told the BBC: “She looked 16 all the time, and we loved her. She’d be there, would help us, direct us. She loved us as we loved her.” “I was a woman, I was Liverpudlian, and I could write,” Lane told the Observer in 2008. “I sailed through the place like some kind of movie queen. I got lots of attention and everything I wrote they seemed to like.” Later projects, such as Luv and Searching, did not match Bread’s popularity, but Lane continued to write scripts and poetry, one of her first loves. Asked in the same 2008 interview how she believed she was publicly perceived, she replied: “Oh, just that I’m a smiling lady, lots of money, spoiled to death, decided she wanted to open a sanctuary, mainly for herself, we’ll sort of put up with her.” Comedy writer known as much for her animal rights activism as for television hits including The Liver Birds, Butterflies and Bread Published: 1 Jun 2016 In the world of 1980s television, female characters and writers were everywhere.

What’s gone wrong? Published: 1 Jun 2016 The award-winning writer of the Liver Birds and Bread, Carla Lane, on why she's selling her animal sanctuary Published: 15 Nov 2008 Corporation dusts down classic sitcoms as part of BBC Worldwide campaign. By Leigh Holmwood Published: 2 Oct 2009 R.I.P. Carla Lane, creator/writer of ‘Liver Birds’, ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Bread’ | Tellyspotting R.I.P. Carla Lane, creator/writer of ‘Liver Birds’, ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Bread’ On: June 1, 2016, By: Bill Young , In: Comedy , No Comment Carla Lane, one of the first female television sitcom writers in an era dominated by her male counterparts, has died at the age of 87. Through her series, The Liver Birds, Butterflies and Bread, Lane gave women a voice while delving into serious subjects not normally dealt with in situation comedy. Her four decades of comedy established her as one of Britain’s top sitcom writing talents at the time.

Lane first became known for The Liver Birds, a sitcom which focused on the lives of two women (Polly Lane and Pauline Collins) who shared a flat together in Liverpool, co-writing and creating the program with her friend and fellow Liverpudlian Myra Taylor. Her next sitcom, Butterflies, which aired from 1978 to 1983 and starred Geoffrey Palmer and Wendy Craig, focused on the lives of the Parkinson family and helped launch the career of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst. Lane then created and wrote Bread, which focused on the working class Boswell family as they struggled through the city’s high unemployment and poor prospects in the late 1980s. It aired for seven series between 1986 and 1991 In 2009, we had the great good fortune of talking with Carla Lane for the PBS’ special, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen. She talked about ‘making it as a female writer in a male dominated world, the key to good comedy writing, her early script submission of Butterflies to the BBC and, here, her love for series star, Geoffrey Palmer.

Lane, who was born in Liverpool, followed up her successful television comedy career by being very involved in animal rights activism. R.I.P. Carla Lane. Thanks for the past decades of laughter and the decades yet to come. Carla Lane dies: Stars pay tribute to TV sitcom writer - BBC News BBC News Carla Lane dies: Stars pay tribute to TV sitcom writer 1 June 2016 Close share panel Media captionThe BBC's David Sillito looks back at Carla Lane's life Tributes have been paid to "dynamic, beautiful" television writer Carla Lane, who has died aged 87. The screenwriter, who created hit shows including The Liver Birds, Bread and Butterflies, passed away in a nursing home in Liverpool , her family said. Friend and comedian Ken Dodd said she was "a lovely, lovely writer", while Jean Boht, who played Nellie Boswell in Bread, said "she loved everybody". Lane was also hailed as a "champion of animal welfare". Much of Lane's writing focused on women's lives and featured frustrated housewives and working class matriarchs.

'Great observer' She first became known for The Liver Birds, a sitcom about two women who shared a flat in Liverpool, which she co-wrote with her friend Myra Taylor. The programme aired from 1969 to 1979 and returned for a one-off series in 1996. She was perhaps best known for the sitcom Bread, which depicted the working class Boswell family struggling through high unemployment and poor prospects in the late 1980s Liverpool, and ran for seven series between 1986 and 1991. Image copyright PA Image caption Carla Lane (left) with actresses Polly James (right) and Nerys Hughes (centre) of the BBC series The Liver Birds Image caption Lane co-wrote the series with her friend Myra Taylor (left) Actress Jean Boht, who played Bread's matriarch Ma Boswell, said she was "dynamic, beautiful, she looked 16 all the time always and loved her animals, more than us I think, and you know she loved everybody".

'Comedy force' Melanie Hill, who played Aveline in the series and starred in long-running school TV drama Waterloo Road, tweeted : "Very sad to hear #CarlaLane has left us. Writer and creator of many fantastic shows." Fellow Liverpudlian Dodd said Lane was "a great observer" who absorbed the humour of the people of Liverpool. "She was a wonderful, a true modern comedienne writer, but as well as that, you know, she left a wonderful legacy of happiness and proving that once again ladies can be just as funny as men." Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Simon Blackwell, who has worked on series including The Thick of It, said she was "a prolific talent". "Her masterpiece, Butterflies, unlike anything that had come before in British sitcom," he tweeted . Media captionNick Conway, who played Billy Boswell in the sitcom Bread, pays tribute to Carla Lane Mark Linsey, director of BBC Studios, said: "Carla Lane was a supremely gifted writer of bitter-sweet family comedies, loved by generations. "Her legacy is extraordinary. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time." Comedy writer and radio DJ Danny Baker tweeted a "real comedy mind and force" had left the planet.

Lane was awarded an OBE for services to writing in 1989 but returned it to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002 in disgust at animal cruelty. In 1995, she was given a Royal Television Society award for her Outstanding Contribution to British Television. Image caption Bread focused on the lives of the Boswell family Image caption Lane's series Butterflies featured frustrated housewife Ria, played by Wendy Craig, here with her friend Leonard, played by Bruce Montague In later life, she became known for looking after hundreds of rescue animals - running an animal sanctuary from her mansion in Horsted Keynes, Sussex, until 2009 - and was a close friend of Sir Paul McCartney's late wife Linda. Speaking to the Observer in 2008 about their friendship , Lane said she and Linda were "friendship-struck from moment one" and bonded over their love of animals. Lane also had an animal sanctuary named after her. 'Darling Carla' Fran Ellis, founder and trustee at the Carla Lane Animals in Need Sanctuary in Melling, Merseyside, paid tribute to a "champion of animal welfare".

Lane's family confirmed she died at Stapely Care Home on Tuesday "With heavy hearts we said goodbye to our darling Carla today," they said. "But with smiles on our faces we also take this opportunity to reflect on her incredible achievements all of which make us so unbelievably proud to be part of her family." Carla Lane funeral sees Bread and Butterflies stars bidding fond farewell to "special" sitcom writer - Mirror Online TV Carla Lane funeral sees Bread and Butterflies stars bidding fond farewell to "special" sitcom writer Carla, 87, died at a nursing home in her home city of Liverpool last month - her funeral was attended by stars including Jean Boht and Peter Howitt Share The order of service for the funeral of sitcom writer Carla Lane (Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email TV stars lined-up to pay tribute to Liver Birds writer Carla Lane at her funeral today. Carla created some of Britain’s best loved sitcoms, including Bread and Butterflies. And Wendy Craig , who played frustrated housewife Ria Parkinson in Butterflies, said: “She was a wonderful person to work with. It was just a joy.

And she gave me the best part of my life.” Actor and film director Peter Howitt , 59, who starred as Joey Boswell in Bread, said: “Carla meant a lot to me. She meant a lot to many people. She was special. She was unique.” Nerys Hughes, 74, who starred as Sandra in the Liver Birds, added: “She gave me the most wonderful scripts I could have ever hoped for. Carla's coffin is carried into Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral (Photo: PA) Butterflies actress Wendy Craig arriving for Carla's funeral (Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) “She was one of those strong, independent women, who was also very gentle and caring.” Read more: Sitcom legend Carla Lane entertained a generation Jean Boht , 84, who played Nellie Boswell in Bread, said: “She changed my life.

“She had the greatest humanity and care and when she wrote about real people, she made you love them.” Bread stars Jean Boht (l), Peter Howitt (c) and Nick Conway (r) were in attendances (Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) Nerys Hughes, who starred in The Liver Birds, paid her respects to "gentle and caring" Carla (Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) Carla, 87, died at a nursing home in Liverpool last month and her funeral service was held in her home city’s Anglican Cathedral. She was known for her concern for animal welfare as well as her comedy writing. And some of the dogs she helped rescue were lined up outside the cathedral with volunteers from the charity, Carla Lane Animals in Need. Some of the dogs Carla helped rescue were lined up outside the cathedral as her coffin was taken in (Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) Carla created some of Britain’s best loved sitcoms, including Bread and Butterflies (Photo: Rex) In 1989, Carla was awarded an OBE for services to writing, but later returned it in protest at the CBE awarded to the managing director of Huntingdon Life Sciences, a contract animal testing laboratory.

Six years later she was given a Royal Television Society award for her Outstanding Contribution to British Television. And in 2001 Carla received the Linda McCartney Award for Animal Welfare at the Pride of Britain Awards. Like us on Facebook

Question: Who wrote the TV series 'Bread' and 'Butterflies'?
Answer: Carla Lane